Alex O'Brien
Food & Wine

Kale and pine nut tart with chickpea crust and lemon crème fraîche

This delicious kale and pine nut tart recipe from Maggie Beer was created to support World Osteoporosis Day – Serve Up Bone Strength!

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Chickpea Crust

Filling

To garnish

Method:

  1. Soak the currants in ½ cup of the Verjuice overnight to soften. Alternatively, place the currants and verjuice in a microwave-safe container and microwave on low for 4 minutes, then set aside for 20 minutes to reconstitute.
  2. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Place in a medium sized saucepan and cover with 4 times the amount of water to chickpeas. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 30minutes or until tender (not falling apart). Skim any foam that rises to the top of the pan off. Once cooked drain well and set aside to cool.
  3. Pre heat a fan forced oven to 180°C.
  4. Place the pine nuts on a tray and roast for 6 minutes or until golden.
  5. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. In a bowl combine the brown rice flour, cornflour, salt and baking powder, add to the food processor with the chickpeas, pulse. Add the olive oil and just bring together, turn mix onto the bench and shape into a rectangle 20x10cm.
  6. Grease 35cmx 13cm rectangular non-stick fluted tart dish, place the rectangular shaped crust inside and press evenly across the base and up the sides of the pan. Once the tart base is evenly covered with the crust, place into the pre heated oven and cook for 8-10 minutes, until light golden. Don’t be tempted to cook too long as the pastry will start to crack.
  7. Meanwhile, blanch the kale in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5–10 minutes or until softened (the cooking time will depend on how coarse the kale is). Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle, then squeeze excess water from the leaves and roughly chop.
  8. Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, over low–medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened. Increase the heat to high, then add ¼ cup verjuice and cook, stirring, until the verjuice has evaporated.
  9. Transfer this mixture to a food processor, add the chopped kale and any remaining liquid and blend to a puree.
  10. Place the kale puree, ½ cup of the verjuice soaked currants, ¼ cup of the toasted pine nuts and preserved lemon in a large bowl and stir until well combined.
  11. In a small jug, whisk together the sour cream, eggs, salt and pepper, then stir into the kale mixture.
  12. Carefully pour the filling into the tart shell and bake for 25 minutes or until just set in the centre.
  13. Remove from the tin, slice a piece approximately 6cm across and place on the plate. Serve straightaway scattered with a few extra pine currants, a generous tablespoon of crème fraîche and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Recipe courtesy of the Maggie Beer Foundation. To find more information please visit their website here. Follow the Maggie Beer Foundation on Facebook here.

Related links:

Potato and cheese tart

Bega Valley brunch cheese tart

Pea, basil and eggplant tart

Tags:
recipe, kale, tart, Maggie Beer Foundation, pine nut